This application claims the priority of German application 198 20 337.3, filed in Germany on May 7, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a covering part for mounting on a front wall of an occupant compartment of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a covering part comprising an instrument panel, a center console which extends centrally in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle occupant compartment, and a hood-shaped center part extending in a center on a lower instrument panel area, in a diagonally sloped manner, and changing on an end side thereof into the center console,
A known covering part of the type shown in DE 44 36 420 C2 has an instrument panel as well as a hood-shaped center console which originates from the instrument panel. The covering part is fastened on a tunnel which extends through the center of the occupant compartment and has a longitudinal part, which extends between the front seats of the vehicle occupant compartment parallel to the tunnel. A diagonally ascending front, transition or center part establishes the transition to the instrument panel and contains function switches for operating electric window lift mechanisms and the like. Shifting levers or transmission selector levers of a shifting block as well as a tray are arranged in the longitudinal part of the center console, which is, for example, constructed as a shell-shaped plastic preform. The tray provides connections and holding devices for accommodating an individual box of various designs.
In another known type of covering part shown in DE 20 26 489 A1, the center console extends to the vehicle body front wall, which separates the engine compartment from the occupant compartment. The air distributor space of an air conditioner is placed onto the center console and, on its front side facing the occupant compartment, is covered by the instrument panel extending to the center console. From the air distributor space, air ducts lead to slot-type defroster nozzles arranged in the instrument panel below the windshield, to center nozzles arranged in the center and to side nozzles arranged close to the side windows, as well as through the center console to rear nozzles arranged in the rear.
In the two side walls of the air distributor space itself in the foregoing arrangement, leg space nozzles situated below the instrument panel are arranged for ventilating the driver's and front passenger's leg space, which leg space nozzles can optionally be closed by means of shut-off flaps. Because of the large number of air outlet openings as well as the required arrangement of additional equipment parts, such as the front passenger air bag, the radio, depositing compartments and the like, little free surface is available in the covering part for accommodating operating and display elements. Because of the increasing motorization of adjusting operations, such as the seat adjustment, the window lifting mechanisms, the mirror adjustment, the headrest adjustment and the like, the number of operating elements, is, however, continuously increased.
In a known driver's cab of a truck as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,338, an instrument desk is arranged directly on the steering wheel on a dashboard, which extends along the windshield. A first console constructed as a hollow housing is fastened on the drive shaft tunnel and extends in the longitudinal direction of the cab between the seats to the dashboard and contains a glove compartment in the rear area. On this straight-surface first console, which is constructed in the shape of a box, another console is fastened which tapers toward the rear. A large number of switches and control displays are housed on the side faces of the two consoles which face the driver.
DE 35 01 714 A1 shows a tray arrangement in the tunnel area of trucks having a tray, which is fixed to the tunnel and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, as well as a box-type mounting which is longitudinally displaceable with respect to the lower tray. The box-type mounting, in turn, consists of a lower storage box, which is open on the top and has lateral guiding elements sloping downward from the front toward the rear, and of an upper table element which is displaceably guided in the guiding elements so that the box-type mounting can be displaced in the horizontal direction along the lower tray and optionally the upper table element can also be lifted with respect to the storage box. This results in a simple and variable modular multi-purpose construction.
DE 42 36 850 C1 shows a console which is arranged between the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat of a utility vehicle and has trays and an element with a working and/or stepping surface displaceable above the trays. The working and/or stepping surface is fastened on a drive shaft tunnel extending between the seats. For the purpose of a further development of the console as a central operating area with an ergonomically placed depositing and/or working surface, the trays are constructed as receiving modules for operating elements, installation units and/or objects and are lined up in a flush manner to form a modular block. The depositing and/or working surface as well as a climbing aid for climbing through between the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat is implemented by a bow which can be displaced at a small distance from the modular surface along the modular block in rails fastened on the tunnel.
DE 29 24 979 A1 also shows a tray for a driver's cab of a utility vehicle which is fastened on the engine tunnel extending between the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat and provides a storage space which is enclosed by a bordering. For implementing a working surface for the driver or the front passenger, a lid part is assigned to the storage space and is connected with the bordering in a hinge-type manner and has a working surface on its underside. By folding over the lid part by 180.degree., the working surface is swivelled upward into a usage position.